Psychological Well-Being in the Mining Workforce: A Systematic Review

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Ruggero Andrisano-Ruggieri, Stefania Mazza, Sergio Miranda, João Santos Baptista, Oktay Sahbaz
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/3
Language English Pages 31 P. 92-122 File size 360 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2026-003008
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In the 1970s, a new concept of pathology emerged, incorporating a biological dimension alongside psychological and social factors. This paper presents a systematic review of the conceptualization and application of mental illness/wellness in miners. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines were used to review the scientific literature on miners’ mental wellness published between 2010 and 2023. The results identified three main categories: hedonic (focusing on individual aspects), eudaimonic (focusing on social aspects), and a mixed model. The strengths and weaknesses of each model are discussed, as well as their practical implications. The analysis reveals that these mental wellness conceptualizations fail to consider contextual and job-related factors that contribute to the mental well-being of miners.

Keywords: miners’ mental wellness, miners’ mental health, miners/rescuers’ illness, rescuers’ mental wellness, rescuers and miners’ psychological needs.

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Ruggero Andrisano-Ruggieri, Stefania Mazza, Sergio Miranda, João Santos Baptista, Oktay Sahbaz, Psychological Well-Being in the Mining Workforce: A Systematic Review in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 3/2026, pp 92-122, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2026-003008